Collar block for shirt presses



Sept. 14, 1943. w CQLCLOUGH 2,329,336

COLLAR BLOCK FOR SHIRT PRESSES Filed Dec. 31, 1940 III I [I 23' INVENFOR.

6 1 WILLIAM COLCLQUGH k 4 "I o 0 BY W MW ATTORNEY? Patented Sept. 14, 1943 ol wool hio} ass ignor to? I NQrvvoo'dQOhioQaL corporation offOh'io ApplieatieniDecernberl31,1940,;Seriai Nor25902,

f 1 v I 5mins; (oil bosom press; shownin broken linegoutline intFig- I her-I0. A: coil' sprin'g M' jconne'ct's expander, l ly andistationarymember I0 and tends toib'ias the expander; into retracted position. .The main. section of-the collar block is PIO ViQGGWifihfSET-Q I eral vertic'ally bored apertures li5 zwhich permit the-biock to be slidably fitted: over pins I6? extending upwardly from the ironing table of: the

2. The cellar 'bloch is thereby readily removeable from or replaceable on the table; The

main" section lfl 'is provided with two upwardly extending brackets I l 'which carry; toward their of the collar isrpreferably provided v'vithclampin; means for'rnaintaining the c'ollar portion in fixedposition on the block; f After the s nar-1s ironed; by meansand ingarnannerwith which" the present invention is not coneerned, the oper ator arranges, or dresses the collar -onthe" block; fixes it in place by a "clamp or otherwise, and proceeds 'With' the" pressing operation r o'nthe shirt bosom: It isquitedesiTable thatthe" expanding and clamping effect "ofth'e collar block beisufiiciently positive to beefiective and ,yef tf simple enough for'rapid'an d convenient o rection, ,7 a I I One obj ect of the present invention is to Iino vide" an improved"coilar; block; the; operative mechanism therefor beingself-contained? A furtherobject of" the invention isto pro vide an improved collar block; the expanderipon tion of which remains" in operative; "extended positiononly when theclampisengaged. 1

A further objectoi the invention is to -pro -j vide; an improved collar block,' the expander? portion of"? which is sli'dab'ly adjustable; and is maintained" in desired position While'"the clarnp rear edge, slots- I8. A siiaft I9 has its ends seated in saidslots A} bell erank lever is pivotallyemounted"on shaft' ililn 1 A gnerallyvertically positioned-rump mem berjfreqnently termed a-transon'i c1amp' 2| is: bored or slotted; at -21, slightly jover size with respect to one of the rods l z whi'ch passes thereis'engaged, but which automatically")returnsto retracted'jidle position when thef clanipf is dis f be more clearly understood fromtheiollowin fj description and the attached drawin ing'j'a: preferred embodimenttinwhichi Fig; 1 is a'pian view 'of the collanbloel, Fig. 2 isa sectionitakenon the line 2 2o'f f Fig; 1.

position; The" collar block shown g1 illustrat through; The lower edge of-"member 2 I is fitted iri-a slot 23 in the 'm'airipbrti'on I09 Theclearan'ce between rod I'Z and transom clamp .ZI]v is such that when theclam'pis in substantially vertical' position; as shown in Fig. 4', the expander I I may bema Inoved 'outwardly by manual pressure countertoitheitension of spring. I 4;,but

. When the transom clamp isclmovedsoutiof .ver- I tical orl' inoperative position, as: shown-irriiig; 2, theiupper andvlowertedges of the apertureisif bindagainstw the I rod 11 2:with sufficient force to holdthe rod against the i retractive tendency; of

spring L4,, Askaresulhwhen the clamp z' l zisinw the: positi'on' shown in;Fig; 2, thejoperator may move the expander rearwardly, by pressurer'of to the-expander I I lb yfscrevvs [HQ The. expander will remain'in any present position within the limits jofits travel until such subsequent time engaged. I I l f I asthe transom clamp is swungjjtovertical,posi "These and otherobjects and advantages will' tion in a manner nowto' be'de's'cr'ihedf 2'lfcarrie'd onbracliets II. A reajrwardly ex I tending arm ,.28 of clamp 26 abuts a'forwarclly 'eirtendin'garm' -ZQof bellcrank'levernjwhen the collar, clamp is swung. from the closed" position of Fig. fZto the open'positiomof Fig; 4. The

cleckvviseflin'ovement of bell crankarm 29} under the influence of the aforedescribedsvving of arrnv 28 of the fco1lar" clamp, causes-the other: bell' crank armjilil to,abuttheupper;inneriiace of transom claimpll, thereby swinging the transom clampj on itspivotingfedge 3i against-the biasing-.1. tendencyof spring 32 one end "of which -is' affiked v toth'e upper edgeportionioi'transom clainp jzil and the otherend tow'th'e main portionofithe collar blockx Spring 32 therefore biases the transom clamp 2| to the clamping position whenever the collar clamp 26 is in the closed position shown in Fig. 2. When, however, the collar clamp 26 is swung to the open position of Fig. 4 by manual pressure against'its upstanding wing.

portion 33, the operative'relationship between collar clamp arm 28, bell cranklever arms 29 and 30, and trans'om clamp 2|, effects the above described change of position 'of the transom clamp from the slanting position of Fig. 2 to the wise movement of bell crank arm 'ia is limite by a stop 48 integral with bracket 11. '1 j One end of a coil spring 34 is attached to collar clamp 28, at 35, and the. other end, to

shaft 19.

Since pivotal motion of collar clamp 26 from the open position of Fig. 4 to the closed position of Fig. 2, causes the spring 34 tosnap from above center to below center with respect to the pivot point. 21 of the collar clamp, the clamp is biased to either fully open or fully closed position and will remain. in one or. other said position until the status'quo is manually 'dis-' turbed.v

The lower front face of the stationary main section. If) ,is provided with a :sponge rubber cushion 36 against which the lower portion of the collar clamp abuts when the clamp is closed.

In actual use thedevice is operated as follows;

The collar block isnormally in inactive position with theexpander fully retracted as shown in full line in Fig. 1* and the-collar clampis open as shown in Fig.'.,4'., f.Th8 block may, otherwise, be immediately brought. to this inactive positionby a simple opening movement ofthe collar clamp, which thereupon impinges on the arm 29 of the bell crank lever so as to bring the other arm 30 of said :bell crankto bear against the transom clamp, and. move it into avertical position, thereby releasing the movable expander members The operator then arranges theshirt onthe buck in the; ordinary waylthe apparatus being conventionaland not .herein'. shown), and

while doing so she. dresses the collar, in upstanding position, around the collar block with the. free ends of -the neckband against the rubber cushion. Shethen flips over thecollar clamp. to'the positionshown in Fig; 2 so as to securelygrip the free ends of the neckband, the points of thecollar being arranged in upstanding position behind the-wings 39 of the clamp 26. i As hereinabove described this operation-- swings clamp extension 23 out of engagementjwith bell;

cranklever 29, which rotatescounterclockwise to the position shown in FigJZ so as to permit spring 32to draw transom clamp 2l' into binding position on red I2. The; operator then moves the expander member outwardly towardsi the broken line position of Fig. "luritilthe outer expander face 31 bearsjagainst the inner surface ofthe neckband. Ayielding yet secure ifit. may

be obtained by the use of'an auxiliary spring member 38 mounded on the expander as shown in Fig. 2. The operator may thenperform 'final" dressing arrangement of the shirt onIthe ironing buck and proceed with the ironing operation.

I Should the operator attempt to adjust theexpander before closing ,lclamp 26 the expander would merely return to retractedposition when her hand is withdrawn, since'the transom camp is in inoperative position. --When the" ironing vertical position of Fig. 4 thereby releasing ex 1 pander ll so that spring 14 may retractthe expander to its fully withdrawn position. Clock- 2,329,336" i 1 operation has been completed, she flips clamp 26 to the open position shown in Fig. 4.

As previously explained, hereinabove, and as clearly shown in Fig. 4, this not only releases the free ends of the 'neckband portion but also permits the expander to withdraw to retracted position, freeing .the collar portion, and the shirtmay b removed from the buck in the usual way.

From the above descriptionit isapparent that my improved collarblock comprises a self-contained mechanism including a combined,- interacting collar clamp and expander which may be economically. constructed, yet. issimply and readily operable even by a -.mechanically unskilled 'operator.

The transom clamp 2| which holds the expander member I I while the collar clamp 26 is in operative position may of course be replaced by other clamping or holding devices familiar to f those skilled in mechanical arts, provided there is an operative linkage: between the expander holding device and the collarclamp permitting release of said expander holding clamp and said engaging means for maintain ing said engagement only while said collar 'clamp,

is closed. I v

, 2; A, collar ,blOck, comprising a stationary member, an expander member slidably mounted. formovement towards andaway from said stag tionary member, and ,a collar clamp pivotally' mounted on said stationary member, means en'- gaging. said expander in. friction brakinglrela tionship for maintaining said; expander in de-' sired, spaced relationship to said stationary. member, and: meansoperatively associated with,

' said collar; clamp and said engaging. means for terminating said friction "braking relationship when said collar clamp is released;

. 3. A collar block comprising a stationary meni- 1 her; an expandermemberfo'r to and fro move-.

ment with respect to saidfstation'aryf member,

"and a collar clamp pivotally mounted on said stationary'member, a transom clamp mount'ed'on said stationary member and normally. biased to frictional: engagement withfsaid expander, and. means operatively associat'edjwith said collar clamp and disposed, ,by opening movement of said collar clamp, to .trip said transom clamp I and release said expanderfrom said frictional.

' engagement.

4. A collar block, comprising i a stationary member, an expander memberslidably mounted for toand fro movement withre'spect to said stationary member, and a collar clamp pivotallyl mounted on said stationary member, spring means connecting said expander and said stationary member and normally tending- .to retract said expander towards said stationary member, clamping means engaging said expander and normally biased tomaiiitairi'said expander in any set position counter to'the tendency of said spring means, and means operatively associated withsaid collar clamp and disposed to:

device when the I expander in desired, spaced {re- I lationship to said stationary member, and means operatively associated-jwithsaid collar? aforesaid, but bindsaid rod when the transom clampis moved from perpendicular position, and,

means operatively associated with said collar abut and release said expander clamping means when said collar clampis opened, whereby said spring retracts said expander towards said stationary member.

5. A collar block comprising a stationary member, an expander member, and a collar clamp pivotally mounted on saidpstationary member, a pair of parallel rods carried by said expander member and slidably movable within a pair of clamp and disposed to abut said first mentioned means so as to move said transom clamp to said perpendicular position only when said collar clamp is open. i

6. An, expandible collar block comprisingf'a stationary member, a manually 'operatable, 'movable member biased to retracted position, holding means for said movable member having operative and inoperative positions, a manually oper p atable neckband clamp biased to eitheropen or 1 closed position, and actuating means between said clamp and said holding means and are ranged, when said clamp is moved to open posi' tion, to move the holding means to'inoperativef position.

WILLIAM COLCLOUGH. 

